March 4, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 24th-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to No. 18 Texas A&M Friday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind. Senior Daniel Stahl (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) paced the Irish by defeating 80th-ranked Alexis Klegou in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
Texas A&M jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after sweeping the doubles matches. The duo of Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan) and Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) finished first for the Irish at No. 3 doubles, dropping an 8-3 decision to A&M’s Alexey Grigorov and Junior Ore.
The Aggies clinched the point at No. 3 doubles, as Notre Dame’s Casey Watt (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) and Greg Andrews (Richland, Mich./Gull Lake) fell to the 45th-ranked duo of Alberto Bautista and Colin Hoover, 8-3.
The Irish tandem of Spencer Talmadge (Hillsborough, Calif./Junipero Serra) and Niall Fitzgerald (Wicklow, Ireland/Blackrock College) put forth a strong effort at No. 1 doubles against the third-ranked tandem of Jeff Dadamo and Austin Krajicek. The Irish held leads of 4-2 and 6-4 in the match before the Aggies rallied to win four-consecutive games and clinch the doubles point with an 8-6 victory.
Texas A&M increased its lead to 3-0 by taking the first two singles contests. At No. 4 singles, Grigorov defeated Andrews in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, before Hoover claimed a 6-3, 6-3, victory over Fitzgerald at the No. 5 position.
The Irish battled back with the help of Stahl’s gutsy performance at No. 3 singles against Klegou. After winning the first-set tiebreak, Stahl grabbed the second set in commanding fashion to give Notre Dame its first point of the contest.
With the Irish trailing 3-1, Watt, ranked 64th in singles action, rallied from a one-set deficit at first singles to grab a 6-3 victory in the second frame against the 38th-ranked Krajicek. Krajicek battled back to earn a 6-3 victory in the third set and clinch the match for the Aggies.
Havens was downed by No. 55 Dadamo in a hard fought three-set match at second singles. Havens won the first set in a 6-7 (8-6) decision, before falling in the second set, 7-6 (7-4) and third set, 1-0 (11-9) to make the score 5-1.
At No. 6 David Anderson (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) defeated Bautista. The Irish senior won the first set, 6-4, before dropping the second set 6-4 and winning the third set 1-0 (10-3) to conclude the match.
The Irish have a quick turnaround as they battle No. 60 Northwestern at 4:00 p.m. (ET) Sunday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind.
No. 18 Texas A&M, 5 def. No. 24 Notre Dame, 2
Singles:
No. 1 No. 38 Austin Krajicek (A&M) def. No. 64 Casey Watt (ND), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
No. 2 No. 55 Jeff Dadamo (A&M) def. No. 124 Stephen Havens (ND), 6-7 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 (11-9)
No. 3 Daniel Stahl (ND) def. No. 80 Alexis Klegou (A&M), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
No. 4 Alexey Grigorov (A&M) def. Greg Andrews (ND), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 Colin Hoover (A&M) def. Niall Fitzgerald (ND), 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 David Anderson (ND) vs. Alberto Bautista (A&M), 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3)
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3, 1, 2, 6
Doubles:
No. 1 Jeff Dadamo/Austin Krajicek (A&M) def. Niall Fitzgerald/Spencer Talmadge (ND), 8-6
No. 2 Alexey Grigorov/Junior Ore (A&M) def. Tyler Davis/Stephen Havens (ND), 8-3
No. 3 Alberto Bautista/Colin Hoover (A&M) def. Casey Watt/Greg Andrews (ND), 8-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
–ND–